Escape from Chicago to Louisville on a budget

You don't have to be a fan of the Kentucky Derby or baseball to enjoy a trip to Louisville, the state's largest city.

Founded in 1778, the city is one of the oldest cities west of the Appalachian Mountains. Today, it has annual festivals, museums, performing arts centers, sports happenings and plenty of food and drink offerings to appease residents and visitors alike.

Thankfully, there are plenty of regular, relatively-inexpensive flights between Chicago and Louisville. We pulled from travel site Skyscanner to provide you with a short list of flights and hotels handpicked with the trendy adventurer in mind.

(Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in the articles may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Prices and availability are subject to change.)---

Set in the heart of Louisville, this hotel is close to Fourth Street Live and the Muhammed Ali Center, as well as Riverfront Plaza Belvedere. Additional attractions include the Louisville Slugger Museum.

Restaurants

Louisville has plenty of topnotch dining options. Here are a few of the most popular, according to Skyscanner.

Proof on Main (702 W. Main St.)Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Don't forget the essentials: where to get a drink. For a popular option, check out Proof on Main, with 4.8 stars from 17 reviews.

Proof on Main at the award-winning 21c Museum Hotel in Downtown Louisville offers a combination of inventive food and beverages.

"A great bar in the 21c hotel," wrote reviewer Tyson. "The drinks are creative and tasty."

"Lets talk about this joint," wrote Kelly."Great on Tuesdays and with tequila. The menu is nicely crafted, and has options for the picky eaters."

Attractions

Not sure what to do in Louisville, besides eat and drink? Here are two recommendations, provided by Skyscanner.

Kentucky Derby (700 Central Ave.)Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

The top-rated visitor attraction in Louisville, according to Skyscanner, is Kentucky Derby.

The fastest any horse ever ran the high stakes race was Secretariat in 1973, at 1:59.40. The slowest run was by Stone Street who completed it in 2:15.20. With such a small margin between greatness and great failure, you can understand the excitement and anticipation inherent in this event that has been a part of Kentucky society since 1896. The big race, run at Churchill Downs, is the exciting culmination to a two-week festival that includes parades, concerts, and more.

The Louisville Slugger Museum is a museum primarily dedicated to showcasing the history of the Louisville Slugger brand of baseball bats, as well as of baseball in general, with a combination of interactive exhibits and memorabilia displays in a space of 16,000 square feet.